Validation of 20-meter corridor for the 6-minute walk test in men on liver transplantation waiting list

Background

Guidelines established by the American Thoracic Society recommend the use of corridors 30 m in length for the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). However, not all institutions have such long corridors, which hinders or prevents 6MWT performance and use of its benefits.

Objective

To compare the distances walked by male patients with cirrhosis on the liver transplantation waiting list, we performed 6MWT on corridors 20 and 30 m long.

Methods

This prospective study included 10 patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation. They underwent 2 walk tests: the first test in a 20 m corridor and the second in a 30 m corridor. We assessed physiologic variables (heart rate, oxygen saturation, arterial blood pressure) and the subjective sensation of dyspnea at rest at 6 and 9 minutes after each walk. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon test.

Results

Data are expressed as mean ± sd. Patient age was 59 ± 10 years. The distances walked by the patients were shorter than those predicted for their age and gender (586 ± 45 m) in both tests, no significant difference was observed between the first and the second 6MWT (437 ± 101 m vs 465 ± 80 m; P = .131) or among the physiologic variables.

Conclusion

We concluded that a 20 m corridor can be used safely and effectively as an alternative to 30 m for the 6MWT for male patients with cirrhosis on the liver transplantation waiting list.